IPAF Launch New Harness Courses

The use of Harness and Lanyards when working with Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) is a common sight on most sites and a requirement in most instances. According to IPAF data, falls from the platform are one of the major causes of injury or fatality associated with using MEWPs. Training for the safe use of Harness and Lanyards has always been critical to safe use of boom type platforms.

Recently, IPAF have reviewed their Harness course and have made changes to the delivery of this training so that it is better tailored to the individuals taking the course.

So what has changed?

Previously, IPAF had a stand alone half day course that would include all the information a delegate would need to know, including selecting the right equipment, storage and maintenance, wearing the equipment and checking the equipment on a pre-use and thorough examination basis.

This approach was designed to be a "one stop shop" to provide all this information for training purposes, however it was found that a lot of the delegates attending the courses were only really required to use Harnesses for their jobs and that they would not be responsible for thorough examinations.

On review of this, IPAF have replaced the traditional half day Harness course with 3 new Harness courses, designed to tailor better to individual's specific involvement with Harnesses.
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So what are the courses now?

IPAF have launched 3 courses to make up 3 new categories, which are designed to work in a tiered system and the courses you take will depend entirely on the level of information each individual requires for their jobs. The new categories are:

​Harness Awareness (HA)
Designed for those who require a theoretical understanding of harnesses without the need to use one themselves. Theory based course, approx 3hrs, completed either in person in a classroom or via eLearning.
 
Harness User (HU)
Designed for those who require to use a harness within a MEWP for their work. Must have successfully completed HA course first and practical is completed in person.
 
Harness Inspector (HI)
Designed for those who are responsible for completing periodic inspections of harnesses. Must have successfully completed both HA and HU courses first. Classroom based course, no eLearning option.

So how long does Harness training take now?

This depends entirely on what level of training is required, which course(s) are taken and the format in which they are done. For example, typically the majority of delegates will require training to HU level, which could either be done as a half day session at a Training Centre doing both HA and HU categories, or the HA category could be done as an eLearning module and the delegate attends the Training Centre to complete the HU category in person.

If the delegate requires the HI category, this can be done as a half day in the afternoon after completing the HA and HU categories in the morning, making this a full days training, or could be completed on a different day.

IPAF are also allowing the HU category to be integrated into their standard IPAF Operator course (where applicable) to help reduce the time spent at the Training Centre. Delegates would need to have completed the HA category prior to the course.

For more information regarding Harness courses and your specific training requirements, contact us to discuss options.